BORGATE OF MARMORA
Marmora is made of several hamlets, quite close to each other, sat on a natural balcony among meadows and pasturelands. Take your time and discover the jewels hidden in the stones of these amazing examples of alpine architecture.
From the innlou Pitavin in Borgata Finelloyou go down to the tarmac road, you turn right and follow the cultural itinerary which takes you up to borgata Biamondo and the Sancuary that dates back 1719 1719and was built around a pillar of 1553 1553. The beautiful fresco of the Madonna and Child on the pillar was recuperated and now has been incorporated in the altar. Leaving aside the detour to the hamlet Finello, one ascends to San Sebastiano, a first cluster of houses high above the road, with the small schoolhouse and stone portals under heavy plasterwork, where it is worth pausing around the chapel dedicated to the saint, a small hidden gem of medieval art with paintings by the 1450 by Baleison.
Pass by the abandoned mill, ,mulino-segheria , where you can see a fresco by Boneto da Paesana, and go up towards Borgata Torello, where you can admire typical examples of traditional alpine architecture, Boneto , such as the round pillars and the suspended rooms.
Borgata Garino is only few metres away and in one of the houses you can admire a fantastic example of double arched window carved in the stone. From Torello an old path takes you to Borgata Tolosano, the last one on the road to Colle di Esischie. In the hamlet there is a very big house where there used to be a museum of old arts and craft, unfortunately now closed.
From Tolosano you come down along the tarmac road through the woods and you can admire on the horizon the profile of Monviso and the high pasturelands of Elva. A short detour takes you to Urzio, where you can admire the best example of “facciata a vela” a type of facade with no ledges or recesses. The itinerary takes you to Arata take the very panoramic path on the right and reach Reinero, the biggest and in the past probably the richest of all the hamlets of Marmora. In 1936 69 people lived here including the teacher, the tailor, the shoemaker, the priest and the baker. In the communal oven, which dates back 1557, they used to cook up to 80 loaves of bread. From Borgata Reinero we go up to the Parrocchia. In the Church of Marmora, with a christening font which dates back to the IV Century and beautiful frescoes of the same period.
Follow the itineary and go though Borgata Superiore. You can admire beautiful meadows covered in flowers to then reach the small Borgata Sodà and Borgata Serre, with the small communal oven by the road. From here you reach Brieis.
Borgata Breis has a communal oven leaned over the side of the mountain, with a peculiar roof. In front of it there is the Chapel dedicated to Santissima Trinità, , as you can read on the carvings on the facade. You can admire some very nice houses in the hiogehst part of the hamlet and a peculiar tower, known as “caso dl’avoucat” – the house of the solicitor. From Breis you follow the path that takes you to Borgata Vernetti, the lowest of all the hamlets of Marmora.
From Brieis starts the path, steep in places but overall very enjoyable, which reaches directly Vernetti, the lowest township that is home to the town hall. Here the famous Fiero di Debit September 13, an important date for a commune that lived on pastures, on beasts. A convenient carriage road goes up the bottom of the valley, flanking the blacksmith’s workshop (now a private house), and to the right we turn onto the path that takes us back to the inn.